Method and means for relatively positioning soles and shoes



1939. H. s. LYNESS 2,168,485

METHOD AND MEANS FOR RELATIVELY POSITIONING SOLES AND SHOES Filed Jan. 10, 1958 Fig.1 w

Fig.5

Patented Aug. 8, 1939 PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND MEANS FOR RELATIVELY POSITIONING SOLES AND SHOES Horatio S. Lyness, Lynn, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J.,

a corporation of New Jersey Application January 10, 1938, Serial No. 184,132

6 Claims.

This invention relates to shoes and to methods of making the same and is illustrated herein, by way of example, with reference to so-called open toe, sandal type of shoes. In shoes of the type referred to, and sometimes also in other types of shoes; the toe end of the shoe is designed to overhang or project forwardly beyond the toe end of the outsole, In such cases it is essential that the toe ends of the outsole and the insole in the shoe be located in accurate alinement with each other inv order to maintain the shape, of the toe end of the shoe and, especially, in the open toe, sandal type of shoe referred to, to improve the appearance of the shoe. It will be seen, however, that when the toeend of the shoe or the last in the shoe overhangs the outsole in the manner described, the operator will be unable to see the toe end of the outsole under the shoe and consequently cannot tell whether or not it is located in a proper position with respect to the'shoe bottom or the insole in the shoe.

Objects of the present invention are to provide an improved method of relatively positioning soles and shoes in which the above conditions exist, and to provide an improved sole member for use in practising the method.

To this end and in accordance with one feature of the invention, an outsole is provided hav ing an extension on its periphery relatively to which a shoe may be alined in positioning it on the outsole. As herein illustrated, the extension comprises a strip of relatively stiff material an end portion of which is arranged to extend beyond the toe end of the outsole a distance equal to that which the toe end of the shoe, or the last in the shoe, should project beyond the outsole in order to locate the toe ends of the outsole and insole in proper alinement with each other, The strip serves as a guide whereby the shoe may be positioned longitudinally of the outsole. Means is provided on the strip for positioning, it, correctly on the outsole and it may be removably secured to the tread or grain surface of the outsole, for example, by glue or cement.

In positioning the shoe on an outsole prepared as described above, the operator first places the outsole on a support or pad member, which may, if desired, be arranged to operate on the sole and shoe, for example, to apply sole attaching or sole spotting pressure thereto, and the operator then grasps the shoe at the forepart and places it on the outsole. He sights past the toe endof the shoe (or the last therein) to the forward edge 55 of the projection or strip andalines the toe end of the shoe with this edge, thereby locating the shoe longitudinally on the sole so that the toe ends of the outsole and insole are in proper alinement with each other.

As he locates the shoe longitudinally of the outsole the operator may simultaneously move the shoe laterally with his fingers or, if more convenient or'desirable; with gaging means provided for that purpose, to position the shoe widthwise of the outsole. The operator then holdsthe shoe parts in such position while causing sufficient pressure to be applied thereto to prevent relative displacement of these members until they have been permanently attached to each other. 7

After the permanent attachment of the sole to the shoe bottom, the strip which forms the projection or tab on the outsole may be removed from the grain surface thereof, for example, by peeling itofi, by buffing 'or in some other convenient manner not apt to injure said grain surface.

With the above and other features and aspects in view, the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing and will thereafter be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing,

, Fig. 1 isa plan view of an outsole member embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the forepart of a shoe being positioned on the outsole with the aid of. the present invention;

Fig. 3 is aside elevation partly in section of the shoe and outsole having pressure applied thereto; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the toe portion of an outsole embodying a modification of the invention.

In practising the invention herein illustrated an outsole H], which has been previously cut or rounded to approximately the shape required in a finished shoe, is provided on its grain or tread surface with'an extension or tab I2 which comprises a strip of relatively stiff fibrous material such as paper, cardboard or the like, the forward edge of which preferably extends substantially at right angles to the longitudinal median line of the outsole. The strip I2 may be formed from a piece of gummed paper or it may be seecured to the outsole by glue or cement. It is positioned on the outsole so that the forwardly projecting portion extends beyond the periphery of the toe end; of the outsole an amount equal to the distance that thetoe end of the upper of the shoe, to w ich el u sel is t te a t e o the toe end of the last in the shoe, should overhang the toe end of the outsole in order that the toe end of the outsole will line up accurately with the toe end of the insole in the shoe.

In order to facilitate locating the strip or tab I2 on the outsole the forward portion of the strip has formed therein, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a perforation or opening I4 which may be substantially triangular in shape, as shown in Fig. 1, and which has its inner or rear edge located the required distance rearwardly of the forward edge of the strip. In cating the strip on the outsole this rear edge of the opening I4 is brought into alinement with the toe end of the outsole and the strip is secured to the outsole in that position. If desired, the strip may be of substantial width, as shown by the strip I6 illustrated in Fig. 4, and it may have perforations or notches l8 formed in its opposite margins the proper distance rearwardly of its forward edge to permit the strip to be located properly on the toe end of an outsole, indicated in Fig. 4 by the numeral 20.

In locating a shoe A (Fig. 2) assembled on a last L relatively to the outsole I0, the operator first places the outsole grain side down in an appropriate position on a support such, for example, as a pad member 22 which, if desired, may be a fluid filled pad for applying sole attaching pressure to the sole and shoe. He then grasps the shoe A in both hands in a manner similar to that illustrated in Fig. 2 and places it on the outsole. In positioning the shoe on the outsole he locates the shoe longitudinally of the outsole by sighting past the toe end of the shoe upper or, in the case of an open toe, sandal type of shoe such as that illustrated herein, by sighting past the toe end of the last to the forward edge of the extension or tab formed by the strip I2. When the toe end of the upper or last is in exact alinement with the forward edge of the extension or tab [2, the shoe will be positioned relatively to the outsole It] so that the toe end of an insole 24 (Fig. 3) in the shoe and the toe end of the outsole are in accurate alinement or registration with each other.

While the operator is locating the shoe longitudinally relatively to the outsole he is able, either with his fingers as shown in Fig. 2, or in the case of a cement sole attaching machine provided with sole and shoe positioning mechanism, by means of the positioning gages on such machine, to locate the sole and shoe laterally with respect to each other simultaneously with the positioning of said members longitudinally. If the sole is to be cement attached to the shoe upon the support or pad 22 upon which they have been located, the operator maintains the shoe parts in their relatively located position. until pressure applying members such, for example, as an abutment 26 (Fig. 3) and a similar abutment I (not shown) for engaging the heel portion of the last L in the shoe, have been brought into operative engagement respectively with the shoe and last and have applied sufiicient pressure to the shoe to prevent relative displacement of the sole and shoe either longitudinally or widthwise until the full sole attaching pressure has been. applied.

If, on the other hand, the sole is to be attached to the shoe bottom by other means such, for example, as stitches, these members should be treated on their adjoining surfaces prior to their location on the support 22 with a pressure-responsive cement and they should be held in their proper relative'positions whilepressuresufiicient to stick the sole temporarily to the shoe bottom is applied, this operation being commonly known as a spotting operation because the cement is applied to the attaching surface of the sole only at limited intramarginal areas.

After the sole ID has been permanently attached to the shoe A, the strip l2 on the tread surface of the outsole may be removed. This may be accomplished by peeling the strip off the outsole or by a bufiing operation which will remove the fibrous material of the strip and any traces of the cement or glue by which it was secured to the outsole without having any deleterious effect upon the grain surface of the outsole.

While the invention is disclosed herein with reference to open toe, sandal type of shoes which are to have their outsoles attached by cement, it is obvious that the invention may also be practised in connection with shoes having uppers which completely cover their toe ends or, as indicated above, in connection with the manufacture of shoes in which the outsoles are to be attached to the shoe bottoms by means other than cement such, for example, as stitches.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. That improvement in methods of relatively positioning soles and shoes for attachment to each other which comprises providing an extension on the periphery of a sole, said extension projecting beyond said periphery parallel to the plane of the sole, locating a shoe on the sole by alining the periphery of the shoe bottom with said extension, and, after the sole has been attached to the shoe, removing said extension.

2. That improvement in. methods of relatively positioning soles and shoes for attachment to each other which comprises providing an extension on the tread surface of an outsole, said extension projecting beyond the periphery of the outsole an amount equal to the distance that the shoe upper or the last in the shoe should project beyond said periphery to locate the insole of the shoe in proper alinement with the outsole, positioning the shoe on the outsole by alining it with said extension, and attaching the outsole to the shoe bottom while said members are held in such position.

3. That improvement in methods of making shoes which comprises securing to the toe end of an outsole a tab which projects beyond the outsole a distance corresponding to that which the shoe bottom should overhang the toe end of the outsole, bringing said tab and said shoe bottom into alinement with each other, attaching the outsole to the shoe bottom while the shoe and outsole are maintained in such relative position, and removing the tab from the outsole.

4. That improvement in methods of making shoes which comprises sticking a tab of relatively stiff material on the toe end of the grain surface of an outsole, the edge of said tab projecting forwardly from the toe end of the outsole a distance equal to the distance that the toe end of the shoe or the last in the shoe should overhang the outsole to bring the toe ends of the outsole and an insole in the shoe into proper registration with each other, positioning the shoe longitudinally of the outsole by sighting past the toe end of the shoe bottom to the edge of the tab and alining said toe end with the edge of said tab, and simultaneously locating the shoe laterally of the outsole.

5. That improvement in methods of making end in line with the outer edge of the strip, thereby locating the shoe lengthwise of the outsole with the toe ends of the insole and outsole in proper alinement, simultaneously positioning the shoe laterally of the outsole manually by the operators fingers, maintaining the shoe and outsole in such relative position until cement or other means has been utilized to secure them in said relative position, and, after the outsole has been permanently attached to the shoe bottom, removing the strip from the tread surface of the outsole.

6. An outsole having removably secured to its tread surface a strip of relatively stiff material one end of which projects forwardly beyond the toe end of the outsole and has its forward edge located a predetermined distance from said toe end and extending substantially at right angles to the longitudinal median line of the outsole, said strip providing temporary gaging means on the outsole itself whereby a shoe may be located manually lengthwise of the outsole prior to the permanent attachment of the outsole to the shoe bottom.

' HORATIO S. LYNESS. 

